The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-06-16

| <uuzHrrrnz
HATING EACH OTHER.
IN pay you off yet for setting
| Mamma Rome up against Dick-see if
| don't, Miss Estelle Despard!' Violet
| Earle muttered, as she stood watching
the whirling flakes of snow with
| gloomy eyes. You're an ugly old
| mediIes0me Frenchwoman, and |
don't believe that you ever had lover
in your life, and l hope you never will
| have"
! That moment the door bell rang
Can that be Dick, | wonder?"
Violet calculated, darting to the ban
lister, and peePing over to see.
| 1t was stranger-a little black
| eyed, parchment-faced Frenchman.
He was asking James if young lady
named Despard lived there
With a swift glance around Violet
| ran down the stairs.
There is no young lady here of
| that name" she told the Frenchman.
in his own tongue; and then she add
ed: 'Mdllc. Despard went away long
ago"
Then she has been here?" he asked
anXiously.
..Oh, yes" Violet answered, begin
ming to wish that she had staid up
| stairs.
DO you know where she has
No
The Frenchman went away.
''She is not young" Violet muttered,
| Il Shn n Ill ,rl
she came back; and | don't know
! where she is at this moment, so | have
not told 4 single story"
She stood thinking a moment with
a clouded face, then she went slowly
upstairs again.
Il don't care" she said to herself.
I'm glad ! did it. | hope he is some
old lover of hers, and | shouldn't
wonder. In all the time she has been
here no gentleman has ever called on
her before, and above all a French
man. Now I'll 90 and tell her the
trick I've played her"
| Mrs. Rome was widow, rich, and an
invalid. Miss Despard was her hired
companion, middle-aged French
woman, who had become so thor
oughly An@licised that only the slight
| est foreign accent remained.
Violet Earle was Mrs. Rone's adopt
! ed daughter and hciress. She was too
fond and too proud of the pretty,
wayWard creature to look with favor
upon the chance of her entangling
herself with a wild and somewhat dis
sipated young fellow like Richard
Lewis She was indebted for much of
! her knowledge of the young mans
| disreputable character to Miss Des-
! pard, and Violet knew and resented
| the companions interference, as
she called it.
Violet Earle and Estelle Despard
had not liked each other from the
first. Violet had early adopted a
fancy that Miss Dcspard "spied" upon
her, and Miss Dcspard had been so
unfortunate a. to oyerhcar one of the
spoiled girls foolish speeches about
herself, in which she vowed her de-
testation of that sly old French crea-
ture, and declared her intention of
teasing Mamma Rome until she sent
her away.
Miss Despard was Just going to her
own apartment when Violet saw her
and followed her in.
Miss Despard," she said, stopping
at the door, and looking at the com
panion with blue, defiant eyes, ''you
are always meddling with my affairs,
and | so seldom get chance to inter
fere with yours. that thought | would
improve an opportunity which came 70
me this afternoon.
EsteIes salIow face flushed. but she
/ only compressed her lips and stood
still.
"A gentleman called. and asked if
young lady named Dcspard resided
here"
E-telle started.
Il told him no, Violet went on.
You are not young lady, you know,
| EsteIIe."
Miss Despard's face turned white
with anger
You ought to be ashamed of your
! self. Violet Earle. | shall tell Mrs.
| Rome what YOU have done"
But I'm not ashamed, YOU see. and
1 while you're telling that YOU can't be
talking about Dick Lewis-that's one
/ consolation, Violet answered hotlv.
And oh, | forgot one thing. Estelle.
! The man was French-cOuldn't speak
a word of English that anyone could
! understand"
'French?' screamed Miss Despard,
looking as if she was going to strike
the mocking girl. And You lied to
him 50? You told him / was not
| here? Violet Earle, YOU have accused
me of meddlin@. The next time
meddle You shall see it will be to some
purpose. If ever get chance to
hurt you, will. can wait
Violet was little frightened at the
| womaus manner. But she tried to
conceal it, and laughing loudly and
! deiantly. went away.
who would ever have thought she
had % much tempcr?" she thought.
II wish | hadn't gone near the French
/ man."
some weeks went by.
Miss Despard had not fulfilled her
lnreat OF telling Mrs. Rome. But there
was look in her black ewes some
times that made Violet shiver, and
| repeat to herself:
II wish | had never seen her or her
| Frenchman."
Richard Lewis had gone back to the
city.
One day a letter came for Miss
Despard.